The Past Never Dies
by DarkBelieverAnge
Summary: One year after Danzo assumes control of the Hidden Leaf, Naruto must find someone who will train him and help him evolve. The one he finds is not someone he would have expected. He finds someone linked to his past. Rated T for language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is a very long first chapter. Normal disclaimers apply.**_

In a land far away from the Hidden Leaf Village, an old woman sat out on her porch overlooking a very huge lake. This land hand many bodies of water, but this one lake was special. There were many vast valleys in this land, even if no one knew who truly owned it. They say that the land called to the old blood, so once here, the person could never leave. The old woman supposed that was the reason why she had never left her home. Her daughter had gone and left forever to fulfill her gigantic destiny. The lake held all the keys to unlocking the secrets for the next generation.  
It was where the child of prophecy would come and claim his right to his mother's heritage. The old woman hummed as she thought about seeing the legendary figure. Maybe he would look like his mother…

Naruto gasped as the blood continued to seep from his wound. He had been in a fight with around two thousand ninja, and he had been injured. He had survived the fight, but he hadn't come out of it unscathed. He had been injured by one of the surprise attacks and the wound had gotten worse. He didn't even know where he was…  
it had been six months since Danzo had taken over the village. Naruto had barely escaped with his life, but was still considered a member of the village. None of the ninja were coming after him, so Danzo must be waiting for him to go back to attack. Not that Naruto minded the wait. He could take a break from all the drama of the ninja world for a while. He couldn't believe that he was destined to fight Sasuke. Kakashi had forewarned him to get out while he still could, and Naruto had told him that he would be back when it was time. Naruto had then started to travel as far as he could. He had to get out of the influence of the Hidden Leaf. He had escaped through about three different lands before he was told that no one knew of the Hidden Leaf.  
He couldn't believe that everything had gone down the tubes. Sasuke had attacked Danzo and had failed. Sasuke was now being held in a prison cell with a chakra blocker on his body. But Sasuke wasn't Naruto's top priority. Sasuke would take care of himself, even if he didn't know it.  
"You look injured, young ninja," an old woman's voice called out. Naruto turned and saw an old woman on a porch. Behind her was a huge lake. Naruto couldn't remember how he got there, or couldn't fathom why he couldn't feel the woman's chakra. The old woman got her cane from down on the wooden porch and heaved herself out of her chair. She motioned for him to follow her. Naruto suddenly discovered that he was too tired to care. He followed the woman into her home.

There was a huge fireplace near two huge couches. A kitchen was on the other side, as was a table. The place was huge inside. There was at least fifty feet of room on each side. There were five bedrooms surrounding the huge kitchen and living room. The old woman motioned for Naruto to follow. He went into the bedroom overlooking the porch and the lake. The lake didn't seem to stop. It went on and on forever.  
the old woman hummed as Naruto stripped his shirt. His wound was larger than he had thought. The old woman cleaned it out and began applying salve to it.  
"This will hurt," she said. Naruto felt a searing burn sensation and gritted his teeth. After it was done, he felt incredibly weary. The old woman put him to bed. "When you wake, you will be better. Sleep now, young ninja."

The old woman grinned as she looked at a picture of her daughter. The young red head had had much potential. She had married a man who was equal to her, in her mother's opinion. The young man had quickly shown himself through the ninja wars and through inventing his own techniques. But, that was all a part of the past. Now, it was time for the next generation to take the secrets of water. Minato and Kushina were two of the most powerful people that had ever roamed the ninja world. Lysandra was one of the ones as well, but her age was catching up to her. She couldn't perform have of her techniques anymore. Not that she missed the constant fighting. After her daughter had died, everyone had forgotten about her. It was very good because no one in the new generation knew about her.

Naruto woke up two days later. He felt where the wound on his chest was. He blinked and looked down. There was nothing there. That couldn't be right… then he heard humming from the outer room. Naruto shrugged and got up. He walked out and saw the old woman making breakfast for two. She was humming and swaying to an imaginary beat. She seemed so at peace that it seemed like she didn't sense Naruto. He quickly shadowed his chakra and came to sit down.  
"You will have to be quicker than that, boy," the old woman said and put a plate down where he sat. she started humming again and smiled to herself. She put the huge ramen pot on the table and got her own bowl. She sat down and whispered a quick prayer of thanks. Then, she loaded Naruto's plate with ramen. He grinned widely and gulped it all down before she could serve herself. She handed him the ladle and he served himself.  
"I knew someone who used to love ramen as much as you do," she said, referring to his father. Naruto just nodded and began swallowing the rest of the ramen. He burped when he was done. He got that from his mother..

"How did you know?" he asked her. The old woman raised her eyebrow.

"How did I know what?" she retorted. He groaned and explained.

"How did you know that I love ramen. How did you know that my weak point was on my neck?" he asked. The old woman laughed.

"Your love of ramen comes from your father. The weak point on your neck comes from your mother," she said. "It's a family trait. In battle, that chakra becomes the most vulnerable. It is a very tiresome trait, but that point allows the chakra to flow more evenly."

Naruto looked at her and just blinked his eyes. He didn't speak for a very long time. Then, he finally drew up the courage to draw breath.

"You knew my parents?" he asked in one shallow breath. The old woman laughed at him. She got up out of her seat and went to a very small and old chest that sat on the fire place mantle. She opened it and withdrew a letter. She gazed at it sadly before handing it to Naruto.

"Read this and you will understand," she said. She walked out onto the porch and sat down on her chair. She waited until Naruto was done reading the letter…

Naruto sat with the letter in his hands and tremblingly opened it up. He gazed at the perfect penmanship and started slowly reading the words.

_Mother, I know I broke your heart when I ran away. You know that I did it for love. I'm happy to tell you that you will be a grandmother soon. Minato is so pleased. he paces more than usual. His job as hokage is becoming even more stressful. There is something bad coming, he tells me, but he doesn't know what. I can't say that I don't know, for in my heart I know that I won't survive this year. _

_I know that is something you don't wish to read. It is something that I don't wish to write. I won't be able to see my young child grow up… it is heartbreaking. That is the reason why I am writing this letter. Mother, I had a vision of a young man who looked just like Minato coming to our lake. Teach him our ways. Teach him all that you know. I have a feeling that he will be one of the greats, just like his father. Please do not treat him as though he was an abomination. My baby will be nothing like that. Please, from mother to daughter, please take care of my baby…_

_I love you, even if I never said it to you more than once, Kushina._

Naruto looked at the letter over and over again. The old woman… why did she have that letter? He couldn't believe that he finally saw his mother's handwriting. He wanted answers. The only way that he could get them was to go and ask.

The old woman hummed until Naruto came out onto the porch. He sat right down at her feet and looked up at her.

"Who are you?" he asked her. He finally noticed her green eyes. They seemed to grow as he looked at them. The old woman chuckled and finally started to explain everything.

"My name is Lysandra. I am considered a very old ninja," Lysandra laughed at that. She just smiled at Naruto. "I was there when your parents met. I saw your mother and father fight for the first and last time…" Naruto straightened up.

"Why did you have that letter?" he asked. Lysandra smiled and put a hand up to silence his unspoken questions. She pointed to the water bank and smiled as fish came jumping out of the lake in the distance.

"About twenty years ago, a young woman disowned her mother in front of all of the elders of her village. The young woman knew what fate awaited her, but she still chose to stay with the love of her life for the remaining years of her life. She did not know what would happen after her death, so she sent the letter to her mother. Her mother sent it to me. I had to keep it safe in order for her young grandson to find her," Lysandra said. "You look exactly like your father, but you act like your mother. Your grandmother will be pleased."

"How do you know my grandmother?" he asked her. The old woman smiled and just shook her head.

"I cannot tell you anymore," she said. "She would not like the fact that you are here and should be there." She pointed to a long path that went around the lake. "Follow that path for two days. When you get to the forked tree, take the path that leads into the forest. Follow your instincts after that. The old place will call out to you. It always does with your blood. I wish you the best of luck." She got up and went into her home. She brought out a very huge sack and smiled at Naruto.

"It will be a very easy journey for you. I have packed all the necessities," she said. Naruto nodded and looked at the lake one last time. He got up and thanked her for her hospitality.

After he had gone, Lysandra smiled to herself. She had fulfilled her obligation to the Elder. She was sending the grandson to the grandmother. That was all that was needed to do. He would fulfill the prophecy and restore his family heritage and name. He didn't even know what tasks awaited him.

A small cottage was located in the middle of the forest, but somehow it overlooked the lake. A woman sat under a huge pine tree with her legs crossed and in a meditative pose. She opened her eyes and emerald eyes glowed with concern. She sensed a familiar presence, but it wasn't the one who had died. It was someone different. It was a mixture between the two of them, but she couldn't believe that he was coming here. She would hurt Lysandra the next time she saw her.

Zebina sighed. She had known that the time would come, but not this soon. Something must have happened within the last year. Of course, life could be altered in less than a second. Zebina hadn't been keeping track of him as much as she used to… where she had gone wrong.

"Oh, Kushina, why did you want me to train him? I am getting to old for this," she said. Her once ebony black hair had become a dark rust color. She had no white hair, but she knew that it would never come. It was one of the choices she had been force to make all those years ago when she had been given the gift. Her daughter had had the same terrible choice to make…

"_If you leave, you won't come back," Zebina had cried. "You know that! If you choose that path, nothing good will come out of it!"_

"_Mother, I love him," Kushina smiled at her sadly. "You loved a man once. You told me that he was your reason for living. I feel like that with Minato. I love him with my whole soul. He and I are one together. I know that I will meet my end when I go with him, but I don't care. I would lose myself if I left him. I want to have my son. My son will change the world, mother." Zebina had shaken her head and looked at her daughter._

"_I will not support you in this," she said softly. "I won't give you my blessing." Kushina looked her mother right in the eyes._

"_Then I disown you," she had said. "But I will always love you. I'll be waiting for you on the other side."_

Zebina let the tears fall again. To think that her last words with her child was about her own child's death made her pause and think. She still couldn't believe that her daughter was gone. Even though it had been sixteen years, she still mourned. _But I suppose that is going to change_, she contemplated silently. She would finally meet her grandson. The one who had to come after her in order to train for one of his destinies. Zebina sighed and focused on what she had to see in order to understand him more.

She saw a young man with blonde hair and vivid blue eyes. She saw that he had a young woman with pink hair and light green eyes in his circle. There was a young man also involved that had a dark and hateful world that he was in all his own. There was another young man, with red hair and very light gray eyes who was tied to her grandson through the demon spirits that inhabited them both. There was another young man who had an artistic ability, who had discovered himself when her grandson had forced him out of his shell. There were many teachers in the background, including Jiraiya. Zebina smiled at the face of her old friend. Tsunade was in the background as well. Zebina focused on Tsunade.

Tsunade was still in a restive state. Zebina dug into her old friend's mind.

_Why do you sleep? She asked._

_To escape the pain. I can't handle it anymore._

_Tsunade, you still have things to do…_

_As do you, but you hide at your lake…_

_Touché. I am almost ready to face my demons, though._

_When you return to the real world, I will wake up and fight by your side again… both of them are dead, you know._

_I know and I am sorry for your loss. Tsunade, I will be there to give a proper burial soon, I promise this time._

_I will hold you to it._

_How is my grandson?_

_Stubborn, but curious. He will take in a lot of knowledge in a short amount of time. He will be a promising student…_

_Rest now, my friend…_

Zebina cut off communications with Tsunade. Just in time, too. She sensed a presence about two miles away from her. she smiled. She would prepare for his arrival. Zebina just looked at her surroundings and closed her eyes. She located him and teleported, or as they say, jump, to his location.

Naruto closed his eyes to rest for a moment. He had traveled for the last twenty four hours straight. He had wanted to find out where she was and how she could help him, so he traveled more and more than he had ever done in the past. Just before he cut his senses off, he felt someone appear behind him. He veered and saw a flash of red hair. He put a fist out and was about to punch when the woman struck him on the neck. Naruto blacked out.

When he woke up, Naruto was tied to a tree. He had no knives or any other weapons. He struggled, but every time he moved the ropes would get tighter. He heard footsteps and looked up. A woman with long black hair that had rusted color highlights stood before him. She sat down and crossed her legs. She brought a hand to her face and rubbed her eyes as if she was trying to stay awake. When she stopped, she looked at him.

"Who are you?" she asked in a deep voice. Everything in Naruto froze. He had heard a voice like that one, a very long time ago. it was a voice no one could forget, but he could never remember who had spoken to him.

"I am someone," he said. The woman chuckled and looked up toward the sky. She smiled and looked back at him. Her green eyes smiled warmly into his blue ones.

"Lysandra was wrong," she said. "You may act like her, but some of you is him as well. Your loyalty to Jiraiya is one of the many things you had in common. Another was a found for women with a variety of red in the hair, as well as the skill to overcome you any day of the week."

"Who are you?" he asked her. The woman smiled and shook her head. "Wait, I can figure it out. You have green eyes, live up on a mountain and have an incredible chakra that you hide with a veil. You must be the old hag's twin."

"Hm," she said. She looked at him and considered his situation for a moment. "You should not call Tsunade an old hag. She would not like that. And who do you think taught her that trick? It certainly wasn't her grandfather." Naruto stiffened. "But, I digress. You are here looking for your grandmother, are you not?"

"Lysandra said I would know her on sight," he said and looked at the woman again. "Tell me about my mother." The woman smiled and looked down into her lap.

"Your mother was one of the most gifted ninja of her generation. She defeated your father the first time they met," she said, chuckling at the memory. "She was raised around this lake. She traveled with her mother constantly. They went to the Village of the Hidden Leaf one day and met your old teacher, Jiraiya and Tsunade. She showed the two respect, as was taught to her, and trained with Tsunade for a couple of months. Then, with the ninja wars in progress, she joined the ninja forces, teaming up with your father often. They fell in love over time, but it was a tragic love. Your mother came back to her homeland to get permission from her mother to get married, but her mother refused. Her mother knew that if your mother would leave, she would die. And in the end, she did."

"How did my grandmother know?" Naruto asked. He hadn't realized yet that he was speaking with his grandmother, but it was Naruto. He was slow when it came to certain subjects.

"The gift of foresight is passed down in your family," she said. "Your grandmother trained your mother, and now she must train you." The woman got up and untied him. She went into her little cottage and left the door open for him to follow. Naruto got up and went in. there was a large kitchen and two bedrooms off to the side. There was a couch near the front door that overlooked the lake. There was no fireplace, so Naruto wondered how she heated the room when it was in the winter. He didn't notice that the stove was fire powered, but then again, Naruto doesn't really get anything on the first try.

She came out of her room with her hair tied up and went into her kitchen. She got two cups and put tea leaves in them. She swirled hers around and handed the other to Naruto. He mimicked her and put the cup down on her table.

"This is the first test," she said. "Look into this one and tell me what you see." Naruto took hers and examined it. There was a shape of a moon and one of a sword. What did he know of these symbols? Something told him to go on instincts. The moon… what would represent the moon?

"You have a moon and a sword," he said. "Maybe you have a period of darkness awaiting you… the sword could represent an upcoming battle." The woman nodded and took his. She sprayed the seeds onto the table and they seemed to take a form of their own. There was a fox and a spear. She smiled and started to interpret.

"You have an inner fox," she started. "You two have finally come to balance. He will aid you as long as you aid him. He has found a newfound respect in you. You have a choice to make with the spear. You can either be like the tip or like the foundation. You can rush into something or build… you have finally found what you have been looking for a very long time." She looked up and smiled. "Naruto you are home." Naruto nodded with tears running down his cheeks.

"Grandmamma," he said. She got up and pulled him into her arms. She hummed as he continued to cry. After five minutes, he subsided. He drew back and looked at her.

"How did you know?" he asked. She smiled and took him back into her arms.

"You may look like your father and have his skill type, but you have your mother's inner flame. It is the flame that never extinguishes, even after death," she said. She pointed to his heart. "Even though you have a spirit inside of you, your gifts can help you enhance your bond with the demon." Naruto looked at her and blinked. "The gift that runs in our family… it can be used to our good or our demise. It all depends on what path we choose. You have nothing to worry about. Your path has already been laid out for you." She smiled sadly as she revisited the past once again.

"How do you control your gift?" he asked her. she shrugged and looked at him straight in the eye.

"The gift comes from our ability to control water," she said. She started telling a legend of the Village of the Spring, or what many called them, the Village of the Whirlpool.

"There was an ancient clan that oversaw all the events," she began. "They were called the Seers. It was said that they could see two hundred years into the future. They prophesied many heroes, who over the centuries have come and gone. The one that I want to draw your attention to is the last prophecy." She got up and went to her room. She brought out a book that looked like it had better days. She flipped to the last page.

"They had one last recording before they were killed," she said. "The last one alive wrote what the Elders had foreseen. There will be a hero who has two souls in one. One of the souls will be a demon fox looking for retribution. The other will be a son of the Ancient Lines of water and wind. This son would have to battle a son of darkness. The son of darkness would not be one of the bloods, but he would be the only one that could kill the son of water and wind. The battle between their father's families will end with them. The victory is uncertain. We have no idea who will win, but we hope that the son of the Ancient Blood will win. It is said after that she was dragged away and was burned alive."

"Son of water and wind?" Naruto asked. Zebina smiled and put her arm palm up. She put it on her table and traced her veins. A symbol of water appeared on her arm.

"This is how they know who is of ancient blood," she said. "Give me your arm." Before Naruto could consent, she pulled his arm and traced his veins. A symbol of water and wind appeared intertwined on his arm. "This was how the first Hokage won the battle. He called upon his ancient blood. We are different than other ninja, Naruto. We have abilities that arise only when we desperately need them. That is one of the reasons why you can control your inner fox easily. Your friend Gaara is a son of Sand, as was his father, and all the fathers ahead of him. Wind and sand travel through the father's line. Water travels through the mothers. If you have a daughter, she will have the water traits. A son will have the wind."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked her. Zebina smiled sadly.

"I have to train you in the ways of the water," she said. "You have the potential to learn them. Your ancestors are not here to teach you the ways of the wind, but I can teach you the ways of the water. Are you interested?" Naruto nodded eagerly.

Back at the Hidden Leaf village, Sakura went to deliver food to Sasuke. He seemed to be a lifeless shell now that his chakra was cut off. She was the one ordered to bring him food as a punishment for helping Naruto escape. That had been almost six months ago. Sakura sighed and put the food in Sasuke's cell.

"What? You aren't even going to talk to me today?" Sasuke sneered from within the bars. Sakura breathed a calming breath and turned around to go away. "He's never coming back, you know. He's abandoned you forever." That finally made her snap.

"Naruto would never abandon anyone. Unlike you, he has honor," she said. "He trained for two years in order to bring you back. I know that you two are going to have to fight, and he will win. He may still believe that you can come back to the light, but I know that you are far to gone."

"Oh, she's finally stopped pining for me, has she?" he sneered. Sakura took another deep breath.

"Yes, I have," she said. "I knew that if I kept holding onto any thought of you, it would hurt him more. I love him too much to let that happen."

"Sakura!" Sai's voice called out. Sakura smiled a little and was about to go up, when Sasuke's voice stopped her cold.

"He will die when he faces me," he said. Sakura turned and looked at him.

"You don't deserve the love that he has for you," she said. "You don't deserve to have even one thought that he produces, but you do. I will stop that, someday. I will make him see you for who you really are. Even if I was the one who asked him to bring you back in the first place."

Two whole months passed as Naruto trained with his grandmother. She would teach him how to bend the water and how to use his gifts accordingly. She taught him everything that she had taught his mother, and more. She taught him how to combine his two elements. She taught him ice techniques and how to appear one with the water. After he was done, she would smile and make him practice more. She was two times as bad as Kakashi.

When it was time for them to leave, she nodded. They had packed everything that they would need for the journey back.

"Why weren't you in the ninja wars?" he asked her. Zebina laughed and looked at him.

"I was, for while. Your mother never knew about it, though. I was one of the advisors for one of the generals. They would ask me a question and I would answer them with one of my strategy plans. It was quite a dilemma have the time. Most of my strategies worked, so your father told me," she said. She shook her head. "I met Kakashi when he was a young man. He was so cocky. But he was a good kid who had so much potential. He lucked out with your father as his teacher. In a way, you had your father teaching you. You had his pupil and his teacher, which is something that rarely happens. You were very lucky on who became your teachers."

"The village has changed," Naruto said randomly. "Danzo has made it like martial law. There are no cheerful cries of children in the streets, there are no mothers meeting at the grocery store to gossip about some random ninja. There's no more joy in the village." Zebina patted him on the head and looked around.

"Speaking of the village," she said. "We're in the territory now." She smiled as about twenty ninja surrounded them. She smiled and put her hands up in surrender. Naruto did the same. Shikamaru came right up to Naruto and sighed.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" he asked. Naruto grinned and shrugged. "Kiba, Neji, and Ino, make sure they stay within the circle… who are you?" he asked looking at Zebina.

"Someone interest in seeing Tsunade," she replied. "I need to see my old friend. The kid was coming back and picked me up to travel with him. I haven't been up in this area for about twenty years. I can't say I remember the path back to the village." Naruto chuckled silently as Zebina smirked at him. "I hear that you guys have Orochimaru's apprentice. Wow, you guys must have an awesome security system." She smiled and started walking. She turned back to Naruto.

"Are you coming, young ninja? I'm not getting any younger," she said. They all made their way to the village. When they were at the gates, Zebina shifted slightly in front of Naruto.

"Be careful," she said. "We're going to separate when we go in those gates. Don't lose your temper, no matter how much you want to." Naruto nodded and looked ahead of him. Danzo came out huffing and looked at Naruto. He pointed to him

"Get that thing to the jail," he ordered. "Make sure he's locked up so tight that he can't even see daylight." Zebina stepped back and let them take her grandson. Danzo finally looked over at her.

"And who are you?" he sneered. She inwardly rolled her eyes. She bowed formally and looked up. She kept her eyes on the ground, like a good woman was supposed to.

"I live two lands away from here. I heard recently that the Lady Tsunade has taken to a coma. I have come to pay my respects," she said demurely. She felt Danzo nod and she was allowed in. she brought her head up and made her way into the village.

All the stores had been rebuilt. They were in the works of rebuilding most of the houses. She noted that the carvings on the mountain were coming along, Danzo's being the first one completed. She didn't even bat an eye as she was led to the hospital. She was led down a long corridor into a room that was specifically designed for Tsunade. The guards left her alone.

Zebina walked over toward Tsunade and touched her forehead. Tsunade gasped with her first real breath in months. She looked at Zebina and bowed her head. Zebina handed her a herb and Tsunade ate it instantly.

"How did you get in?" she asked after she instantly regained her strength. Zebina chuckled.

"Danzo loves submissive women," Zebina stated. "So I played the part." Tsunade chuckled and looked up as her own apprentice walked through the door. Sakura's mouth dropped and tears started running down her cheeks. Zebina nodded in approval.

"He chose a good mate, didn't he?" she remarked to Tsunade. Tsunade nodded. "She's like his mother. She has what it takes." Tsunade froze. Zebina smiled. "No, there won't be any sacrifices. That I promise you with all of my heart." Zebina looked at Sakura intently. "You are in love, aren't you?"

Sakura blushed. Tsunade chuckled and motioned for Sakura to get closer.

"Get me some sake," Tsunade said to Sakura. Sakura nodded and left them. Tsunade dressed quickly and looked at Zebina.

"What are we going to do now?" Tsunade asked Zebina. Zebina shrugged. She looked around outside.

"They probably have him in the old prison," Zebina started. "The underground shouldn't have been affected… the tunnel under the Hokage building should still be opened, right?"

"Yes, and no one knows about them," Tsunade said. "Danzo might have a suspicion that they are there, but he isn't certain. They were destroyed in the attack sixteen years ago." Zebina nodded and smiled. They were about to talk again when Sakura rushed in on them. She had lost her color in a short amount of time.

"Danzo and his men are on the way here," she said. "They know that you aren't who you say you are. They want to find out… and the ways won't be pleasant." Zebina smiled and looked at Tsunade.

"In the old prison, right?" she asked. Tsunade nodded. She quickly got on the bed and composed herself into a self-deceiving a coma. Zebina shot a knife at Sakura, whose instinct was to grab it and point it at Zebina. Zebina raised her arms in surrender. Danzo came in immediately and glared at Zebina.

"Who are you?" he growled. Zebina looked at him straight in the eyes and smiled coldly.

"Someone who remembers a time when you were nothing but an insolent dog," she said sneeringly. "Not that much has changed in that regard." Danzo looked her and turned white.

"You're supposed to be dead," he said. Zebina smiled and held her wrists out. "Take her to the old prison. Make sure that she and that thing are in the same cell together." Zebina smiled and looked at one of the guards. Kakashi's eye widened when he saw her grin.

"Oh, how am I to cope? I can't use my gifts all the way down there," she said. They led her to the prison below the Hokage building. She smiled as she saw her grandson. Kakashi knelt down after they were delivered into the cave. He bowed in respect to Zebina.

"It has been a very long time, milady," he said respectfully. Zebina nodded and he rose.

"You don't have to bow to me anymore, Kakashi. My time as a ruler has come and gone," she said laughing sadly. "Besides, I heard that you were nominated to become the next Hokage."

"Not true," he said. Zebina smiled and looked around. Her eyes narrowed in silent anger. She closed her eyes and let whoever was trying to come into her mind come in.

_A young man with black hair and black eyes stood looking at her intently. His eyes were filled with hatred and disdain. Zebina smiled at him. He started his attack on her sight. Zebina held up her left hand. It was always her left before her right. Her right hand was more powerful than her left._

_She stopped his attack mid-air. She smiled as she took the same hand and shoved it toward Sasuke. He flew back. She waited for his next attack._

_He came flying at her with his sword. She took her left hand again and materialized a water sword. She blocked his attack and Sasuke went flying back again. She smiled and sighed._

"_Why do you want to fight with me, young one?" she asked. He looked at her with hate filled eyes. She finally understood what was going on with him._

"_You are the one who will face Naruto," she said in clarity. The young man's eyes widened. "You are considered the son of Darkness. I understand now."_

"_What do you mean!?" he yelled at her. she smiled and held out her left hand to him._

"_You can turn away from the path that you have chosen. Every human has the opportunity to turn their life to the light or to the darkness at anytime," she said. She looked at him, right into his soul. "You were good once. You were filled with joy and happiness. You were once a good child. You should have stayed on that path, young one."_

"_WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" Sasuke cried to her. "YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN AN OLD HAG!" Zebina smiled at him. She put her right hand behind her back._

"_When I get out of this hell hole, I will match my powers against yours," she said. "And I'll even allow you a handicap. I won't use my right hand at all through the battle." Sasuke looked at her intently._

"_You can't be serious," he laughed at her. "I was trained by Orochimaru. I can kill you in an instant."_

_Zebina laughed at him. "Then what's stopping you?" She then proceeded to push him out of her mind. When she was done, she heard a groan from down the hall._

Zebina looked at Naruto and smiled. "Your friend is down the hall and is not too pleased that we are here." Naruto nodded and started pacing. Zebina closed her eyes and began to meditate. She would find the answer to get out of this jail cell. She would find one before that crazy boy broke out and wreaked havoc on the village.

Upward and across town, Kakashi stood looking at his old mentor's image. He frowned in thought as he considered what he would do in order to get Naruto out of jail. He couldn't believe that Zebina was alive and in the flesh. She had vowed to never come back to the village again. Kakashi remembered the last time that he had seen her. it had been around eighteen years ago.

"_I won't come back," she told him tersely. "My daughter and your teacher are in love, even if that means their end."_

"_What do you mean?" Kakashi asked. Everyone back in that day had been told of her gifts. She was a seer, a very good one. She was one of the few that could see the images through water. Kakashi had had the greatest experience watching her perform her technique. She would meditate to look for a body of water and then connect with it through her mind. Afterwards, she would be allowed to see the future. It was one of the most curious things that Kakashi had ever seen. He had asked her to teach him about it afterwards. She had just looked and him and shook her head. _

"_You shall see… take care of their son," she said. "He will be a very stubborn student, but he will also learn rapidly, even if he doesn't know it. He will have his own talents that will become apparent to everyone involved. I might come back if he finds me. But if he doesn't, I will never come back to this place."_

_The fourth Hokage's funeral was a sad one. Jiraiya and Tsunade had taken breaks from their travels and came to the funeral. They both wore all black, a feat that was unimaginable by everyone. Kakashi had stood next to Jiraiya, as respect to student and teacher role that Minato played. Kushina was buried with Minato, and most everyone was offended by that. No one knew that they were married in secret, but Naruto was to keep his mother's name. it would help protect him from any unsuspecting attacks. The normal villagers didn't know that he was the Hokage's son, even if he looked just like him. They all blamed him instead. They all blamed Naruto for his father's death._

Kakashi blinked as he looked around. He didn't even know why she was here, but he had a feeling that she was going to escalate the progress of everything. Kakashi just didn't know what she was going to push forward.

He went through the village and found a very old shop. The shop had somehow been rebuilt first, and the owners had started running it again. Kakashi grinned at the old lady and gent when he came in. they bowed to him. They brought a bag out and put it on the counter.

"I think that she would want this," the gent said without having to explain who needed it. Kakashi got a novel and paid for both items. He nodded his thanks and the couple nodded. Kakashi swung the bag around his shoulder and went to visit her.

Naruto was pacing as he considered what to do. He was starting to make a path in the floor. Zebina kept meditating. Why didn't she do anything? She was supposed to be one of the most powerful ninjas, yet all she did was meditate.

Sensing a presence, Naruto sharpened his senses. He cooled just a little when he found that it was only Kakashi.

"Took you long enough," Zebina's voice called out from behind Naruto. Naruto turned and saw that she got up and went to the bars. She reached her hand out and took a small bag that Kakashi had brought and took it from him. There was a jar in the bag that she took out and took some powder from the jar. She sprayed it all around the cell and started to smile. She waved her right hand and the powder started to become liquid. It was water. Zebina sat down and allowed the water to coat her body. She motioned for Naruto to step aside as she waved her hand. Naruto watched as the bars froze and instantly destroyed themselves. He grinned and walked out behind Zebina. All the water that was on Zebina's body evaporated. She looked at Sasuke and grinned.

"Whenever you're ready, young one," she said and went on her way to the lower levels of the city. Naruto followed. Kakashi stayed behind to watch Sasuke.

His one eye looked at Sasuke's eyes.

"You made a very dangerous enemy," Kakashi announced to him. "That is one battle that you will lose. Naruto won't allow her to battle you. He probably wants to do that himself now."

_**A/N: This is a very long first chapter. It will probably have a very short conclusion, but IDK yet. **_

_**One of my random thoughts, when thinking about this topic, was "What if Naruto had a grandparent?" IF Kushina is dead, wouldn't she want someone from her family to take care of the boy? Just one of my rambling thoughts.**_

_**Read and review if you want.**_

_**Until next time,**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Well, we are now onto the second chapter. I got a lot of [FF Story Alert+] s and it was so sweet. I'm going to take that as you all loving my story so far. Okay, not this is going to be a little shorter than last time, but it will be just as good. I hope you enjoy the second chapter and, if you REALLY want to, review at the end. All reviews are appreciated and accepted with loving tenderness.**_

Chapter Two

Naruto winced at the speed his grandmother was going. She sure seemed in a hurry to find something. He just didn't know what. She seemed to know the underground passage ways like the back of her hand. She would look back occasionally, but she would keep on running.

Finally, after traveling about two kilometers, she stopped. She looked around and touched a brick that was in the floor of the pathway. The passage way started to shake. Naruto looked at her. Zebina was standing proudly as the wall in front of them opened. After the shaking stopped, she bowed before the entrance. Naruto did the same.

Zebina motioned for Naruto to follow. He did so, very quickly. He noted that she was looking straight ahead, not even looking at all the figurines around them. It was of different figures of the past, including his father. Naruto gasped as he saw his father next to a woman. Zebina paused and touched the woman on the head.

"I have brought him to this place, just like I promised, little one," she murmured. "Naruto, this is your mother, Kushina." His parents were depicted embracing one another. His mother had a very heavenly smile on her face. His father looked content as he looked down at whoever was there to witness this statue.

Zebina continued walking on. Naruto started to hear the faint sounds of rippling water. He frowned. Surely there couldn't be water down here.

Zebina put the sack on the floor and knelt down. She dipped her hand past the floor and brought it back up. It was wet. Naruto looked at her in amazement.

"They call this luck," she mocked herself. She shook her head. "This is the lake of our ancestors. This is the water that has made its way throughout time… this water is what gives us the ability to do what we do. We carry this water in our blood. When we die, this water takes us home…" she sighed and looked around. "All of our ancestors have communed here, one time or another. They had to have protectors, though, to keep the evil out of this holy place…

"That is where your father's tribe came in. they were the most powerful in the world. They have protected these lands since the first Hokage. He protected them from the Uchiha clan… now; you must take up that torch. You are the last of the two tribes, Naruto. You are the one who will bring peace to a land that has been at war for millenniums." Zebina smiled as she looked at her reflection in the water. She put one finger in the water and watched the ripples. "You see how the ripples get larger? The smaller ripples were our ancestors, now we are the larger ones. But at some time, the ripples always stop… Naruto, you must stop ripples… please finish the job that I couldn't." Naruto nodded and then the water started to glow. Zebina got up and bowed to the water. She pushed Naruto toward it. "I will watch the entrance."

She left him to commune with someone who he had never seen, but had known his whole life.

A woman came out of the water and smiled at Naruto. She wore a long white dress. She motioned for him to come forward. Without even looking at what he was walking on, Naruto came forward. The woman had long red hair and green eyes. The green eyes were the exact color of Zebina's.

"I have been waiting for this moment since you were born," she said. Naruto's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. "We had no choice, Naruto. You were the only one who could handle the beast. The fact that you had our blood within you was enough. Your father and I never wanted to sacrifice you, but why would we take and use someone else's child?"

"Why did you leave your village?" he asked softly. "You could have remained safe. You could still be alive today." Kushina reached out and touched him on the cheek.

"Love is a mysterious thing, Naruto. I love your father. Even in death, I love him," she said. "I knew what would happen when I accepted his hand in marriage… he and I were in love so deeply that we couldn't live without each other… it was a tragic love, but if I hadn't gone with him, you wouldn't have been born."

"What was the letter about?" he asked. He remembered the old woman allowing him to read the letter that his mother had written to her mother.

"Your grandmother and I had a falling out before I died," Kushina said sadly. "She knew that I was going to die, and tried to make me stay in the village. Back then, she was the leader of our village. She was very determined to alter fate… because she knew what it was like to die for love." Kushina smiled sadly at her son. "Your grandfather died saving your father. When Minato was young and cocky, without Jiraiya around, he decided to attack around two hundred ninja by himself. He was at the borders of our lands… my father was on patrol and he was worried about the bandits that plagued our village from time to time. We would always have forewarning, and that would help us, but not by much. That day that my father was on patrol, my mother told my father to be on the lookout. I still hadn't discovered my gifts yet, nor had I been told, so I just shrugged it off. What did my mother know, anyways? She was always meditating and had a dreamer's stare. That's what it seemed like to me, anyways. I didn't know that she saw all the evil in the world and dared to question it.

"She was always right, though. She would tell me randomly to keep an eye out for something and be on guard. I would come home from training and thank her. She would just shrug and go back to whatever she was doing… but that's not the story I was telling, was I?

"The day my father went out on patrol, he saw a young ninja outnumbered. He went down into the fight to pull Minato out… he got stabbed in one of the major arteries that was in the back… my mother sensed it and rushed out of the house. Before I could even fathom a thought, she had disappeared. She had located my father and Minato. She fought off one hundred and fifty ninja, according to Minato.

"After the fight, she healed your father. She put a mark on his shoulder. The mark of the fox. To this day, I don't know what it means, and I'm dead." She laughed and looked around. She touched Naruto on the forehead and brought him close.

"My darling little baby boy… I have to go now," she said sadly. "I am sorry that we can't visit more… know that I am always watching you and that I love you… you are my baby boy, now and forever. I love you, young Naruto."

She became one with the water again. Naruto kneeled down and wept.

Zebina sighed as she looked at her daughter's statue. She knew that her daughter needed time with the son that she never met, but she was still a little jealous. She had never been able to speak with her daughter after that night that was so long ago. She felt a presence behind her, and looked. Kushina was standing there and smiled.

"Mom…" she said. Zebina put a hand up and opened her arms. Kushina rushed into them. For a split second, Zebina was able to hug her daughter once again. The feelings of love coursed through her as she held her daughter.

"It's okay," Zebina murmured in Kushina's ear. "I love you… I'll see you soon." Zebina smiled and pushed her daughter back to the other side. Kushina's eyes widened as she realized what her mother had just said. She started shaking her head violently. Zebina smiled and waved her daughter off. She closed her eyes for an instant, letting emotion seep in, and then took out a very deep breath. She was normal when the breath was done. She turned and saw Naruto ready for his destiny. He had the mark of the fox on his shoulder, just like his father had.

Up in the city, Kakashi stood overlooking the village. He didn't know why he was up here, but he knew that he had to be. Sakura was right behind him, just looking at the sights. She gasped when she saw it initially.

"Why are we up here, teacher?" she asked. Kakashi shrugged and looked down at his old teacher's head. He looked at his old student and sighed.

"I'm here because something tells me that I have to-"he was cut off when a loud explosion and veered toward the jail building. He looked down and saw Danzo waiting in front. Sasuke came tumbling out. Kakashi saw two flashes and his eye widened.

"She can't be thinking-"he was cut off again when Zebina threw herself in front of Danzo. Naruto came and attacked Sasuke. Sasuke tried to dodge him, but Naruto was too quick. Zebina and Naruto then came back to back and held hands. They switched positions, causing a large just of wind to swirl through the village. Sasuke and Danzo barely managed t hang onto their feet. Kakashi decided that he needed a better look.

Kakashi saw Zebina start doing some motions that made him uneasy. He remembered a comment that she had made many moons ago.

"_If there was one thing that I could do, it was to make my daughter and her husband happy," she had smiled sadly._

"You old hag," Sasuke growled. Zebina grinned at him. "I hate you and I don't even know you." Zebina shrugged and looked at him in the eyes.

"It's because I can do the one thing that you can't," she said. "Not even your leader can do _that_ technique." She dodged his attacks and saw Kakashi rushing down. Sakura was behind him, her eyes only for Naruto. Zebina smiled at Sasuke.

"I have a question for you," she said to Sasuke. "Why would you give up the love of a young girl who was so devoted to you? Didn't you know that she would ask my grandson to go after you? But, then, you were probably only thinking about yourself. It is sad, but probably true." Zebina started doing motions that were more ancient than the elements themselves. She looks up toward the sky and offers the one thing that she would never have offered in her life. She offered what made her herself. She offered her chakra and techniques. She looked up and bellowed to the sky, "Now! Fulfill my wish!" she looked at her grandson and smiled at him. She nodded and disappeared from the world of the living.

Zebina stood at the gates of her ancestral home. Her mother was there, with her long black hair and green eyes. Her father was there with his green eyes and black hair. But the one person whom she had missed the most was standing next to them.

"Haron!" Zebina cried. The man turned and smiled lovingly at his long lost wife. Zebina rushed into the arms of her red-headed husband. She cried in his arms and held him tightly to her. He held her tightly as they swayed to their own beat.

"I made the way," he said. "Everything's set. They can go back anytime." Kushina and Minato came forward. Kushina knelt to her knees. Minato bowed low. Zebina smiled.

"He needs a mother and father," Zebina told both of them. "I have taught him all of our family's techniques. He needs his family now." Kushina looked up and tears started coursing down her cheeks.

"Why did you do this?" she asked her parents. Zebina smiled and Haron shrugged.

"Your mother knew many years ago," he said. "She knew the moment that you were born that we would have to do this. The ancient blood within helped guide her, but she knew that she had to end the battle within herself.

"The blood of the clans has finally started to wither… with your son, it will thrive again…"

"No," Zebina said. "With him, we are all free. The blood will not thrive again. We will all be free. As you two are free to go back to him." Zebina kneeled down and touched her daughter's cheek. "I was never ashamed of you. I love you." Kushina nodded. Zebina looked up at Minato. He nodded and touched his shoulder. She touched her shoulder. Minato gave a short nod and pulled Kushina up. In the distance, Jiraiya was waving and smiling. Zebina turned and saw him give her thumbs up sign. She smiled and waved heartedly. He grinned back at her and shook his head.

Naruto was fending off Sasuke as Kakashi stood against Danzo. After Zebina had disappeared, Naruto had stood frozen. Kakashi had pushed him into motion again. They were getting weaker by the second though, and both Kakashi and Naruto knew it. Naruto's speed was decreasing and he was dodging less and less attacks. Sasuke was getting rougher and rougher. Naruto couldn't hold one attack back, and it almost came to contact. Something appeared in front of him.

"Get out of my village," the voice commanded. Naruto looked up and saw the fourth Hokage looking at Sasuke. Sasuke paled and saw Kushina holding Danzo back. Kushina forced Danzo's hand down and looked him right in the eye.

"Why are you harming him?" she asked gently. "Your fight isn't with him. It's with us."

Just then Tsunade came into view and sighed in relief. She stood by Sakura, who was looking at the two with complete shock. Kushina grinned at Tsunade and Tsunade grinned back. Minato continued to look at Sasuke.

"So, you are Orochimaru's apprentice," he said as if that clarified everything. He looked at Naruto, who looked at his father. "You have caused my son harm for a very long time… and you want revenge against my family and my village? That is one thing that I cannot allow. But seeing as though my son wants your head for himself, I am guessing that I have to allow it." Kushina looked at Danzo.

"How long have you been trying to take over this village?" she asked him bluntly. He glared at her and she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Be that way. See if I care." She took her index finger and middle finger and poked him in the neck. Danzo gasped. "There. Now, you can't do any damage with no chakra." Kushina looked at Sasuke then at Naruto.

"What do you want to do with this one?" she asked him gently. Naruto shrugged and looked at his father.

"Let him go," both father and son said at the same time. Kushina looked at them both with confusion.

"Why would we do that?" she demanded. Naruto spoke up first.

"Because he's going to come back with some more friends," he said. Kushina nodded. She shoved Sasuke and looked him right in the eyes.

"When you come back, we'll be ready for you," she said. "You went up against Kakashi more than once, but you've never gone up against me." She smiled at him and Sasuke backed up. He glared at Naruto then disappeared. Kushina sighed and looked at her son. She smiled warmly. Naruto looked at both of his parents in amazement.

"How are you two here?" he asked them. Tsunade cleared her throat.

"Your grandmother had a technique that was taught by the ancients," she said. "It was to bring the souls of the dead back to finish their job… your grandparents knew how to do it and had agreed to do it when your grandmother had her vision."

"What was the vision?" Kushina asked. Tsunade looked up at the sky then looked at them. She sighed and nodded.

"Your mother knew that you were going to die. She knew it since the moment of your birth. But she also knew that you had to be brought back somehow. So, she and your father did the rite of passage and sacrificed their souls for you and your husband," she started. "They really didn't sacrifice themselves, but rather promised that when the time came, you two would replace them as the elders of your tribes. Which you are now." Tsunade looked at Naruto and smiled sadly. "Zebina taught you more than you will ever know. She taught you the ways of your people and something else."

It wouldn't be until Naruto was a father himself did he understand. His grandmother had given him the reason to continue, even when he didn't know it. She had given him everything that he had ever wanted, and she had been the one to show him a different view of the world. As he trained his own children, he realized that she had given him all of the old techniques that had been forgotten. She had taught him to love and to be different. To be a part of something, but also be alone. She had taught him to be himself in a society that wouldn't always accept him. She taught him that all out of her loving him.

_**A/N: I had to finish this, and it was a very abrupt ending. I'm so sorry for that. I have had so many emails about people Fav+ this story, and as an author that makes me immensely happy. I just had a midterm this week, so my brain is half dead. I have one next week too, but I can rest my head by doing much needed updating and a lot of studying. Gotta love college. **_

_**Until next time,**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


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